Hydroxycitric Acid Update

On May 1, 2009 the FDA issued a warning to consumers to stop taking Hydroxycut-branded products. Over more than 7 years they have received 23 reports of health related issues with those taking Hydroxycut-branded products. The main health concern appears to be serious liver-related problems. Iovate Health Sciences Inc., the makers of Hydroxcut, have voluntarily recalled all of the products under question in the FDA’s report

Common symptoms of liver complications include:

• jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
• brown urine
• light colored stools
• unusual tiredness
• stomach pain
• itching
• loss of appetite
• weakness
• vomiting

In light of the recent FDA warning concerning the possible dangers of Hydroxycut-branded diet pills, many believe that the associated health risks are likely due to the inclusion of the commonly used ingredient Hydroxycitric Acid, or HCA. And while according to the FDA, “The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products. The products contain a variety of ingredients and herbal extracts.” you can never be too cautious.

So, while further study and research is needed to confirm the link between HCA and the liver problems, until proven otherwise any products that contain HCA are no longer recommended on this website.

Lyse XL Ingredients

• Boerhaavia diffusa 50mg
• Smilax china 50mg
• Phyllanthus emblica 25mg
• Zingiber officinale 25mg
• Piper longum 25mg
• Piper nigrum 25mg
• Commifora mukul 50mg
• Garcinia combogia 50mg
• Terminalia belerica 25mg
• Terminalia chebula 25mg

Smilax is used as an herbal remedy for various afflictions, but it does not contribute to weight loss.

Phyllanthus emblica (Indian gooseberry) may reduce blood cholesterol levels, but research has not shown a direct contribution to weight loss.

Zingiber officinale is just the scientific name for ginger. Ginger calms the stomach, but it does not contribute to weight loss.

Piper longum and Piper nigrum contain piperine, which increases the body’s thermogenic activity. Thus, the body can absorb more nutrients. Whether this tranlates directly to weight loss remains to be proven.

Garcinia cambogia contains HCL, which has been proven to contribute to weight loss.

Terminalia chebula supposedly inhibits the growth of malignant tumors. There is no evidence to show that it contributes to weight loss.

You will notice only ONE ingredient in Lyse XL diet pills (Garcinia cambogia) has actually been proven to contribute to weight loss. This Lyse XL review finds you would be better off looking for a diet pill that includes more proven ingredients in proven amounts. Garcinia cambogia won’t do a lot by itself.

Lyse XL Cost

Lyse XL diet pills cost $41.95 for a one month supply (with a discount for buying in bulk). This Lyse XL review finds this is too expensive. Lyse XL contains only ONE proven ingredient.

Lyse XL Marketing

The Lyse XL website contains typical before and after photos as well as outrageous testimonials. I was shocked to read, “Individuals shown are paid models, and not necessarily Naturomeds customers” (website). At least they are honest about it. It makes me wonder–Are the testimonials paid for as well? If they have to pay people for their before and after pictures, what else are they being phony about?

Lyse XL Conclusion

This Lyse XL review finds most likely you will be disappointed with Lyse XL diet pills. They contain only one proven ingredient, and their marketing tactics are sketchy at best. Don’t waste your time or money with products that fail to include proven ingredients. Look through our recommended products for diet pills that actually include proven ingredients in necessary amounts.

What we see is a pretty typical weight loss supplement that uses some effective ingredients but fails to disclose how much of each ingredient is included. This makes it virtually impossible to determine if enough of each ingredient is included to make this an effective weight loss supplement.

So what are the ingredients in Methyl Ripped?

CLENADRINE™ (Extreme Thermogenic Complex) 900mg
Di-Caffeine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (read: caffeine), Di-Caffeine Malate, Esterified Green Tea Extract [Standardized For 45% Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) Ester, 2% Epicatechin Gallate (ECG) Ester, 2% Gallocatechin Gallate (GCG) Ester, 1% Catechin Gallate (CG) Ester], Salix Matsudana, Isohumulones, Evodiamine HCL, Octopamine HCL, Tyramine HCL.

CYTO-T3™ (Xtreme Thyroid Stimulating Complex) 50mg
Bacopa Monnieri, Gugglesterones E&Z HCL.

DNP-X™ (Uncoupling Protein Complex) 50mg
S-Allyl-L-Cysteine, (E)-N-[(4-Hydroxy-3-Methoxyphenyl) Methyl]-8-Methyl-6-Nonenamide.

CC-VOL™ (Cortisol Control Complex) 50mg
Ashwagandha, Phosphatidylserine, Beta-Sitosterol, Theanine.

CYCLO-AMP™ (Xtreme Cyclic AMP Stimulating Complex) 50mg
Clary Sage Extract, Forskolin, CAMP, Amentoflavone.

Betadrol™ (Receptor Upregulating Complex) 50mg
Raspberry Ketone, DNA, RNA, Crataegus Monogyna.

AbsorbMax™ (Rapid Absorption Complex) 5mg
Piper Nigrum

Di-Caffeine Alpha-Ketoglutarate is supposed to be the ingredient that makes this product different. Supposedly it is “designed for maximum impact”, whatever that means. There has been no research done on Di-Caffeine Alpha-Ketoglutarate.

DiCaffeine Malate is a combination of caffeine and malic acid. As I stated above, the efficacy of caffeine goes without saying, but what about malic acid? Malic acid plays a role in the citric acid cycle. The citric acid cycle belongs to the metabolic cycle and helps in the conversion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into CO2 and water. This conversion results in energy that can be used by the body. You can see then where Forged Nutrition makes their claim about “the positive effect on energy replenishment that the malate ion has.”

My recommendation would be to treat DiCaffeine Malate the same as you would treat the inclusion of any caffeine in a diet pill. Know that it will increase your metabolic rate at the (possible) cost of jitters and some sleeplessness.

Studies show raspberry ketones induced weight loss in mice with a diet containing 2% of the total diet as raspberry ketones. No studies have been done on humans. Note: in order to take in 2% of raspberry ketones as your total diet you would have to take a ton of these Methyl Ripped pills. Once again, Methyl Ripped does not disclose how much of this ingredient is included. This makes it impossible to determine whether or not the amount of raspberry ketones in Methyl Ripped is enough to be effective in promoting weight loss.

Gugglesterones are supposed to increase thyroid function to promote weight loss. However, studies have had varying results.

One study on coleus forshkohli (Forskolin) found

“Oral ingestion of forskolin (250 mg of 10% forskolin extract twice a day) for a 12-week period was shown to favorably alter body composition while concurrently increasing bone mass and serum free testosterone levels in overweight and obese men. The results indicate that forskolin is a possible therapeutic agent for the management and treatment of obesity.”

Well, since Forksolin is found in Methyl Ripped’s Xtreme Cyclic AMP Stimulating Complex (and I type that with extreme sarcasm) is only 50 mg, you can rest assured that you’re not getting 250 mg of forskolin in there.

Green Tea has been proven to contribute to weight loss; however, there is no exact amount listed so we cannot be sure if it is effective in Methyl Ripped.

Bacopa Monnieri is used for epilepsy and asthma treatment. It has been proven to have antianxiety effects.

What are the side effects of Methyl Ripped?

Side effects of Methyl Ripped include heavy bloating, abdominal cramps, headaches, jitters, and difficulty sleeping.

What is the price of Methyl Ripped?

The average cost for 120 softgels is $35. If you take the recommended dosage of 6 softgels per day, one bottle will last 20 days. That equal $52.50 per month. This is extremely expensive when compared to other more effective alternatives.

Methyl Ripped Review Conclusion

Considering Methyl Ripped contains several ingredients that have not been tested and they do not list specific amounts for the clinically proven ingredients, we would recommend looking elsewhere. Look for a supplement that uses clinically proven ingredients in sufficient amounts.

Phentramine’s Ingredients

Phentramine’s ingredients are outlined on their website, but the supplement facts aren’t given, so the dosage amount is unknown. This makes it tough to evaluate. Many diet pill companies these days mask the dosage in a “proprietary blend” and Phetramine is no different. It would be nice if they at least listed their ingredients from greatest to least amount so we could get a general idea.

• Hoodia Gordonii is a fad diet pill ingredient where the claim that it suppresses the appetite. The little research that has been done on Hoodia has shown that it would most likely be impossible to ingest enough Hoodia to make it worthwhile, since most of the active ingredient (P57) is metabolized by the liver. Notice how the Phentramine website tries to legitimize Hoodia by simply quoting media outlets about it. The media is in the same business of selling hype — they do it all day long — so it’s no surprise that their quote about Hoodia sounds mysterious and amazing. They’re trying to sell a story. How exciting would the story be if they simply reported what I just mentioned above?
• Guarana, in conjunction with Yerba Mate and Damiana (sometime seen as GYD, or GDY) has been shown in research to aid in fat loss. However, Phentramine went the less effective (less expensive) route and didn’t include the Y and D of this effective equation. The result is that Guarana stands alone in Phentramine — not having nearly the weight loss effect it would have if it were formulated properly.
• Cha de Bugre – is an ancient herb known for its appetite suppressing abilities. Hard and fast research related to Cha de Bugre, however, is extremely limited.
• Ginseng – an herb popularly used for energy and its ability to aid in lowering blood glucose levels, there could possibly be some merit to it, though some researchers are demanding more research before being able to recommend it.
• Phentramine also contains Citrus Aurantium. The active ingredient in Citrus Aurantium is Synephrine. Synephrine has been shown to be an effective stimulant. This doesn’t mean Phentramine can be recommended however, since we have no idea hos muc Synephrine is actually present. The level of synephrine in Citrus Aurantium can vary wildly from selection to selection. It would have been much better for the Phentramine group to purchase Synephrine as an extract, so the inclusion could be measured.
• Both Magnolia Bark and Piper Nigrum are more label eye candy than anything else.

A Call with Phentramine’s Customer Service

I contacted Phentramine’s customer service at 1-877-445-1034 and was pleasantly surprised that a person answered the phone after just one right — not a machine, but an actual person. Kudos to them for that.

Of course, the call went downhill from there. The rep told me where I could find a list of ingredients but admitted they didn’t provide the amounts. He also was excited about Hoodia, which is unfortunate, since it’s a scam. (The “thing” he mentions when he’s trying to explain the 20:1 ratio idea is the P57 extract that I mentioned above).

Finally, the best part about the call was the fact that I discovered they don’t offer a moneyback guarantee. A shame. At least 90% of diet pill companies will offer a moneyback guarantee so it’s suspect that Phentramine won’t do this.

You can listen to the call here if you’d like: Phentramine Review Phonecall

Phentramine Review Conclusion

Phentramine just doesn’t have an ingredient profile that I can be excited about. Their inclusion (and excitement) about Hoodia Gordonii means they’re hawking a product whose flagship ingredient is absolutely worthless. Their pricing is extremely high for what their ingredients could possibly bring. The one upside is that their customer service was quick to answer the phone. It’s extremely unfortunate that Phentramine won’t stay by its product enough to be able to offer a moneyback guarantee. I won’t recommend a product unless the guarantee is in place.

Phentramine’s simply trying to capitalize on the confusion with the similar name of Phetermine. It’s a common ploy, but they don’t have nearly the ingredient profile needed to be even comparable. I do not recommend Phentramine.